Suction cleaner



C. H. TAYLOR SUCTION CLEANER Dec. 21;.1937;

Filed May 18, 1936 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNlTED STATES PATENT o1=1=1c 7 2,103,101. sUc'rroN cLnANnn Charles H. Taylor, North Canton, Ohio, asslgnor, to- TheHoovcr ilompany, North Canton. Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application May 1c, 1936,: Serial! no. stars 8 Claims. lci. IEF-ti cleaning .when dusting tools are used for off-the- 10 It is an object of the present invention to provide a new'and novel suction cleaner construction. It. is a further object of the invention to provide a suction cleaner in which the surface- 7 a contacting agitator is raised as a step of the con 15 version of the unit from an on-the-floorcleaner to an ofl-the-fioor cleaner. A still further object of the invention is theprovision .of a suction cleaner in whichthe manual raising of the cleaner nozzle and agitator makes possible the connection of dusting tools to. the suction-creating unit. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection there-- a with the attached drawing to which they relate.

Inthe drawing in which the same reference character is used' to refer to the same part throughout:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with certain parts broken away or a suction cleaner con- 6 structedin accordance with the present invention adapted foron-the-floor cleaning; Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the cleaner adapted'for ofl-the-floor cleaning; Figure 3 is a partial bottom view of the cleaner shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section upon the line H of Figure F Figure 5 isa partial end view of the nozzle ehow ing the height-adjusting means.

of application Serial No. 700,386, filed December l, 1933, now matured into Patent No. 2,076,390.

The modern suction cleaner is adapted to perform on-the-floor and off-thefioor cleaning. The

45 first cleaning duty comprises cleaning surface coverings. The second cleaning duty comprises cleaning objects positioned above the supporting surface. The most e flicient modern suction clean ersprovide surface-agitating means which cooperate with the cleaning air to dislodge the embedded foreign material from the surface coverings. 'When the machine is functioning as an off-the-fioor cleaning unit it is desirable that means be provided which prevent continued surface contact of the surface agitating means The present disclosure is in part a continuation j the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention the manual height adjustment of the cleaner insures this last mentioned desirable feature and makes possible the alteration of the on-the-iloorunit to an ofi-the 5 floor unit.

Referring to the drawing a preferred form of the present invention is disclosed. A suction cleaner is illustrated comprising a nozzle 8 which is connected to'the fan chamber 2 at one side of 1 the motor casing by an airpassageway h which opens directly to the inlet t of the fan chamber.

A removable cover plate 6 forming a part of the 1 wall oi the air passageway 3, immediately opposite the fan chamber inlet t, covers an opening 6. An unshown motor of any ordinary type is positioned within an funshown motor casing adjacent fan chamber 2' and the motor shaft 51 extends into the fan chamber-where it supports the suction-creating fan t. The fan 8 is effective. in the operation of the cleaner, to draw cleaning air through the nozzle i, into the passageway 3 and fan chamber 2, and to exhaust it therefrom through the outlet a into a detachable dust bag In which is removably secured by manu- I ally operable means it. c 1

Within the nozzle l is positioned a rotatable surface-contacting agitator it provided with rigid beating elements and fiexiblebrushes which are adapted to beat and brush a surface covering undergoing cleaning. A power-transmitting belt t3 encircles a pulley portion of agitator I Z and extends therefrom into power-receiving relationship with the motor shaft i.

This exact relationship is not of the essence of the invention and mayv befiin i .3: common and well known manner; it being old to drive a rotatable agitator sin a cleaner nozzle from arotatable motor shaft.

-."The cleaner ismovabiy supported upon front and, rear wheels Wand it and there is providen i0 a pivoted handle it by fwhichthe operator can exert a propelling force; ltn; order that the cleaner nozzle 8 and the agitator it can be ad- .lusted vertically relative to the surface covering undergoing cleaning the front wheels it, it are mounted upon a crank shaft il pivotally secured to the under side of the cleaner and provided with adjusting means comprising a vertical arm it screw threaded at its upper end and movable vertically by the manual rotation of a knurled adjusting knob it. The specific type of adjusting means for the arm I8 is old and Well known and is "not of the essence of the invention.

Carried by the crank shaft H is a lockout arm 29 which, in all normal on-the-fioor positions of the nozzle I and agitator I 2, extends adjacent the air passageway opening 6 and its cover 5. If the cleaner nozzle be raised by its adjusting means to such a height that the cleaner clearly is in-' operative as an on-the-fioor unit the lockout arm 20 is also moved from its position closely adjacent the opening 6, indicated in full lines in Figure 1 and in dotted lines in Figure 2, to a new position, indicated in full lines in Figure 2, in which it is spaced a greater distance from the opening 6. The importance of this adjustment will be made apparent immediately.

If the operator desires to use the cleaner as an off-the-floor cleaning unit the cover plate 5 is removed from the opening 6 in the air passageway 3 to permit of the insertion, in a common and well known manner, of a dusting tool converter element 2I through the opening 6 and into contact with the eye 4 of the fan chamber. The converter 2i is provided with anoutstanding shoulder or arm 22 which extends, with the converter in place upon the cleaner, into the space or a portion of the space normally occupied by the lockout member 20 with the nozzle adjusted for. on-the-floor cleaning. No other angular position for the shoulder 22 is possible for a raised projection 23 upon the periphery of the converter 2| can only seat in the opening 6 at the point at which a groove 24 is provided to receive it. Leaf springs 25, 25 are carried by the converter 2| and extend through the opening 6, being provided with shoulders which seat upon the inner wall of the opening to prevent accidental displacement of the converter. To release and remove the converter it is necessary only to urge the springs 25, 25 inwardly to permit of their disengagement. In the drawing in Figure 2 a dusting tool hose 26 is. shown removably' secured to the converter 2| by suitable manually operable retaining means 21.

In the suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention in normal onthe-floor cleaning the cleaner is adjusted as illustrated in Figure 1 and the opening 6 of the air passageway is closed by the cover 5. Rotation of the motor shaft I causes the suction-creating fan 8 to draw air through the nozzle I, and exhaust it by the fan chamber 2 and the exhaust outlet 9 into the dust filter bag Ill. The surface covering below the nozzle I is lifted into contact with the nozzle lips and is beaten and brushed by the rotating agitator I2.- The movement of the cleaner over the surface covering by the operator through the handle l6 effects surface cleaning. In the off-the-floor cleaning relationship the cover plate 5 is removed and to permit of the insertion of the converter element 2I the I nozzle has been raised to a position such as shown in Figure 2 in order to remove the lockout member 2I from the position to be occupied by the shoulder 22 of the converter. While the shoulder 22 of the converter is shown as being extended at the side of the air passageway through the converter it is to be understood that the invention includes the idea of extending the lookout member 20 to a position across the opening 6 so that no shoulder upon the converter member would be required, the shoulder 22 being considered as merely a part of the converter. The converter member 2| is inserted through the opening 5 of the air passageway 3 and seats in air tight relationship with the eye 4 of the fan chamber being removably retained and locked in place by the springs 25, 25. The full suction of the,

'fan a is then effective through the c ver er 2| to the dusting tool including the hose 26. The raising of the nozzle removes the agitator I2 from all possible contact with the underlying sur-, face covering. 7

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner having suction-creating means, a surface contacting agitator, and a body including a dusting tool seat; means tossupport said agitator above a surface covering undergoing cleaning, means to adjust said supporting means to raise and lower said agitator and a movable member obstructing said dusting tool seat, 'said movable member being connected to said supporting means and movable by manual adjustment thereof to a non-obstructing position to permit the attachment of a dusting tool unit to said seat.

2. In a suction cleaner having a body adapted to receive a dusting tool unit, and a surfacecontacting agitator; agitator-supporting means adjustable to raise said agitator from contact with a surface covering, a rigid lockout member extended into position to prevent attachment of a dusting tool unit to said body and connected to said agitator-supporting means and movable thereby to an inoperative position upon the manual raising of said agitator from contact with a surface covering.

3. In a suction cleaner having a body forming a nozzle and a fan chamber, a surface contacting agitator in said nozzle and a fan in said fan chamber, said body being adapted to seat a dusting tool unit in operative relationship to said chamber, supporting wheels, means connecting said wheels to said body for adjustment to raise and lower said nozzle and agitator, a lockout member preventing the seating of a dusting tool unit upon said body in certain adjustments of said nozzle and agitator, said lockout member being connected to said connecting means, and a manually operable member to position said wheels relative .to said body to raise and lower said nozzle and to move said lockout member to an inoperative position.

4. In a'suction cleaner, the combination with suction-creating means, of a body having a' dustcally adjusting said agitator and supporting member.

5; In a suction cleaner, the combination with suction-creating means, of a body having a dusting tool hose connection, a surface contacting agitator carried by said body, vertically adjustable supporting means for said body, a manually operative adjusting device connected with said body supporting means, the latter including a barrier member shiftable therewith into and 'out of position to prevent the connection of a dusting tool hose with said body except in the raised position of said agitator.

6. In a suction cleaner, ,the combination with suction-creating means, of a body having a dusting tool hose connection, asurface contacting agitator carried by said body, a vertically adjustable supporting member for said body including manually operative adjusting mechanism, a barrier member carried by said body supporting and a connection for a dusting tool hose communicating with said suction-creating means, a

surface contacting agitator supported by said body member, wheels carried by said body member and vertically adjustable to raise said agitator above the surface normally contacted'thereby, a manually operated adjusting device connected with said adjustable wheel and aibarrier member normally positioned to obstruct the dusting tool hose connection to prevent the attachment of a dusting tool hose thereto when said agitator is in surface contacting position,

said adjusting device having operative connection with said barrier member whereby the latter is displaced from said hose connection obstructing position in the raising of said agitator out of surface contacting position. a

8. In a suction cleaner; the combination of a body member including suction-creating means and a connection for a dusting tool hose communicating with said suction-creating means, a surface contacting agitator supported by said body member, a wheel supporting member mounted on said body member adjacent said agitator and vertically adjustable to 'raise said agitator above the surface normally contacted thereby, a manually operated adjusting screw connected with said wheel supporting member and a barrier member carried by said wheel supporting member and normally positioned over said connection to prevent the attachment of a dusting tool hose thereto when said agitator is in surface contacting position but adapted to be 

